The Outer Box

My good pal Logan Zawacki has an awesome series of lectures planned for November. Any comic fan, historian, cartoonist, or artists should check this out. Comics have a great history and I know that Logan will do a great job.

From Logan’s myspace:

“Instructor: Logan Zawacki
Dates: November 8, 15, 22 @ 10:30am
Pricing: Members $70 / Non-Members $75

This course is designed to teach the history of comic book superheroes and how intertwined the medium is with American history and contemporary subjects. Students will learn about each of the four main eras in comic book history as well as explore the impact of superheroes leaping from the pages to the big screen.

The objective of this course is to motivate each student to research the history of superheroes and develop a new level of respect for the medium and all the amazing people involved with the creation of this truly contemporary mythology.

LECTURE SERIES:

November 8, 2008
“How History molded our Heroes.
The Golden Age – The Silver Age”

How big of an influence did the Great Depression play in the creation of Superman? Would there be a Captain America if it weren’t for World War II? What lasting effects did Dr. Frederic Wertham’s influential book Seduction of the Innocent have on the comic book industry? How did the Golden Age of Science Fiction affect the Silver Age of Superheroes? These are just a few of the topics that will be discussed in this lecture covering the creation of the first American comic book superhero in 1938 to the end of the Silver Age of comics in the early 1970’s.

November 15, 2008
“When did our Heroes become Villains? The Bronze Age – The Modern Age”

How did the Civil Rights Movement change the face of the X-Men? Did the Vietnam War and Watergate help create a new breed of anti-heroes? What events during this time period sparked darker and more mature storylines into mainstream comic books? All of these topics will be explored as well as the revival of the superhero genre in response to the tragedy of 9/11.

November 22, 2008
“From Spandex to Leather.
Comic books and their Movie Adaptations”

This lecture will examine the evolution of comic book movie adaptations starting with the campy Adam West version of Batman and ending with a discussion on the contemporary issues brought up in Christopher Nolan’s film Dark Knight. Other topics include the X-Men movie influencing the costumes of the comic book, how 9/11 changed the landscape of Spider-man, and the impact technological advancements have made on the production of comic book movies.

For more information about this course, contact Cathy Fitzpatrick at tours@mocajacksonville.org or call 904.366.6911 x212″

-eb5k